Project description:

ERAN — Emotional First Aid by Telephone & Internet — is Israel’s largest lifesaving volunteer organization, providing mental health first aid to anyone in the country who needs it. It has operated since 1971, and today its 24/7 hotline (1201), together with chat and WhatsApp, offers free, anonymous and confidential support to people in crisis, in acute distress or contemplating suicide.

Approximately 1,900 trained volunteers work across 14 branches throughout Israel, plus additional branches in North America and Australia, making ERAN the country’s primary center for emotional first aid. It operates dedicated lines tailored to different groups — children and young people, older adults, immigrants, Arabic speakers and Holocaust survivors amongst them — and works with the government on Israel’s National Suicide Prevention Plan.

Demand for ERAN’s services continues to grow, and the organization is expanding its volunteer base and outreach to ensure that more people — whatever their age or background — have someone to turn to in a moment of crisis.

The FAIR Charitable Foundation supports ERAN’s mission to ensure that no one in Israel faces a psychological crisis alone, helping sustain frontline emotional support for children, young people, older adults and families in need.

At present, the FAIR Foundation is considering offering support for a major collaborative initiative — the construction and launch of an Emergency Response Centre (a new headquarters for ERAN).